Friday, August 30, 2013

During these past couple of months, especially in the month of July, Su Beng has been posting quite
frequently on Facebook. It's sometimes hard for me to get them all
translated. In some of his posts he really delves into political
philosophy and theory, while others consist of a series of simple
sentences, which are written in a style that makes me think these are
things that Su Beng might say at a rally. I've picked one (from July 13)
that I think summarizes what he has to say to the Taiwanese people and will translate it here:

Here is the complete post below along with English translation:

你是在台灣生的嗎?
Were you born in Taiwan?

你是在台灣長大的嗎?
Did you grow up in Taiwan?

你是在台灣生活的嗎?
Are you living in Taiwan?

你對台灣有愛心嗎?
Do you love Taiwan?

你有希望台灣進步發展嗎?
Do you wish that Taiwan would improve and develop?

你豈是想說台灣咱得保衛自己?
Have you ever thought about our Taiwan’s need to protect itself?

就是這樣，
That’s the way it goes,

你豈想永遠做奴隸嗎?
Have you ever thought about being enslaved forever?

你豈想台灣受外來統治很好嗎?
Have you thought about whether it's good for Taiwan to be under foreign rule?

你不想淘汰中國國民黨民族主義甲中華民國『體制』嗎?
Have
you ever thought about eliminating the Chinese Kuomintang with their
nationalist philosophy hidden behind the Republic of China system?

你豈想受中國共產帝國主義來統治也好?
Have you thought about whether it’s also good to be under the rule of the Chinese Communist imperialism?

The
phrase "大人大種" on Su Beng's t-shirt can be translated literally as:
great person, great stock. I've been told that this character for stock
"種" basically means type; but, in this context of usage, it has the
connotation of "having extraordinary courage to face great danger, fear
and pain." I've also been told that in the context of someone Taiwanese
facing his archenemy, namely the Chinese, these characters could be
interpreted to mean: "I am a grown man and have done all kinds of
things. I don't need anyone to boss me around."

Over the past few months Su Beng has been keeping busy, not only with speaking engagements about his book The Oral
History of Su Beng (史明口述史) but by participating in a number of protests in Taipei. Su Beng and the Taiwan Independence Action motorcade have been out there en force for many of them.

“President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) government did not consult with any industries or the legislature before signing the agreement,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told the rally held in Taipei.

National Taiwan University economics department chairwoman Jang Show-ling (鄭秀玲) said in a video shown at the rally that the Ma administration violated three principles in signing the cross-strait service trade agreement.

[...]

The signing lacked transparency throughout the process, it put commercial interests ahead of national interests by opening air, sea and land transportation and communication industries to China and the agreement is unequal, she said.

The Taiwan Independence Action motorcade arriving at the front of the Presidential Office in Taipei (August 18, 2013)

Then on August 18th there was the "Give the Country Back to its People, the 818 Mission to Tear Down the Government" protest rally organized by The Taiwan Rural Front (TRF). August 18 was the one-month anniversary of the forced demolition of private homes in Miaoli County’s Dapu Borough (大埔). The protest was scheduled to take place on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office. Protestors were seeking justice for victims, who’s homes had been torn down to build a science park. For three years the residents had been fighting to stop the demolition, but on the morning of July 18, while Dapu residents and civic groups were protesting in Taipei, four homes were demolished. You can read a detailed account of what happened on July 18 here: http://fareasternpotato.blogspot.tw/2013/07/things-coming-apart-dapu-outrage-as.html

About Me

Since 2004 I've been documenting the life of Su Beng- a Taiwanese nonagenarian Marxist revolutionary and lifelong Taiwan independence activist, who spent 7 years working undercover for the Chinese Communists, tried to assassinate Chiang Kai-Shek, and wrote "Taiwan's 400 Years of History." Follow along as I unravel and explain the elusive contradictions of this man's life story. It's my job as Su Beng's biographer to tell this story of one man's idealism, passion, heroism, and humanism. I believe it is a story that will inspire and inform. As a first time biographer, I'll also share some of my reflections on my role as Su Beng's biographer.